LaFlorecita wrote:Okay after reading thijs zonneveld's column I am sure movistar will chase saxo. He basically confirms Alejandro and Alberto hate each other and Alejandro is only worried about beating Alberto.

Tinkoff seems very [ I don't know how to say it in English] épatage only on twitter. In Eurosport interviews he's quite reserved and says he realizes how it is difficult and too competitive to win the Tour.

In this situation, Froome may as well be Wiggins/A.Schleck/C.Evans (whoever AC's main competitor was for the respective year's tour) but I fear that the even greater competitiveness of Froome has strengthened AC's fans' resolve even more against him in particular.

LaFlorecita wrote:Okay after reading thijs zonneveld's column I am sure movistar will chase saxo. He basically confirms Alejandro and Alberto hate each other and Alejandro is only worried about beating Alberto.

Is there a link to this column?

Carol S.~~~~Alberto Contador: "And yes, it is true that for me it's the same to finish second or 10th."

Tinkov's best bet would be to offer up some nice Tuscany villas for the Belkin boys. Movistar - well they want to beat Saxo I think, sad but true so they can't really be counted as allies but perhaps helping to seal the Polka-dots for Pierre, a stage win for Andy and some sort of Belkin alliance they can find enough Allies there...

After emotions abated and with as unbiased reflection as possible the conclusion is that Berto is in decline I've seen no hint of the 2007-2011 Alberto.

He isn't even at 2012 Vuelta level. He hasn't made a single attack this race; because he cannot; it would be suicide the way he is looking on the climbs. Tinkov should stop putting pressure on him!!!! Riis shouldn't be putting pressure on him!!! I'm sure he is putting enough pressure on himself.

Maybe he will really peak in week 3 and find good enough form to attack from way out, maybe he can sustain a Fuentes De type attack. Actually Berto has looked better in the 2 TTs than on any climb so far!!!

He needs to find Legs If he does it will be fireworks!!!!! His team is strong and should be able to give him the opportunity. If no form comes, he has a realistic shot at taking 2nd and that would be a very positive result considering his lack of form this entire season. But he'd more likely roll the dice and go for it all LOL! And that is why I love him; that attitude. Now he just needs the legs!

Carol S.~~~~Alberto Contador: "And yes, it is true that for me it's the same to finish second or 10th."

I did not believe in this info... that valverde and ac dislike each other... in the dauphine some years ago, AC did help Valverde against Evans...

And the reason that Thijs said that valverde dislike contador is because of what happened in last year vuelta... I remember that vavlerde was sad with sky, not with Alberto...

And it is normal to Valverde be enthusiastic with the time that he is ahead of contador.. it is the first time that this happen in a GT! :-)

I agree. I can't see how or where their relationship may have soured over time. I recall during 2008 at the Vuelta them sharing a laugh at a service station during the final stage. I follow both riders fairly closely and I'm certain that if there was truly any bad blood between them that I'd have heard about it. I don't believe it exists. Especially not based on anything that happened in last year's Vuelta. I can understand Valverde being disappointed in how his chance to win was essentially ended by Sky's unsportsman like decision to continue with their aggressions when the ride leader was down.

The Father of Clean Cycling, Christophe Bassons wrote:When I look at cycling today, I get the impression that history is repeating itself: riders who are supposed to be rouleurs are climbing passes at the front of the race, and those who are supposed to be climbers are riding time trials at more than 50 kilometres per hour.

Yet again you project too much. How i feel about the two, as athletes, has nothing to do with the other. I dont dislike Froome because I like Contador or vice versa. As for Froome's performance, all I can say is it looks other worldly--especially in light of his prior talent levels.

"The truth is when I race, it's 100% me" Alberto Contador

"I have no intention of being a conformist in this race. Not in the slightest" Alberto Contador

Google translate dutch to english is really good actually, but sometimes funny. Is "flying banana" some kind of idiom in dutch?

And man, Valverde is good at keeping a grudge apparently. Or maybe he was envious of Contador's success in the years before that Vuelta already, with him getting in his mind unfairly punished and Contador riding to his greatest triumphs and even returning to his winning ways after the ban.

airstream wrote:Tinkoff seems very [ I don't know how to say it in English] épatage only on twitter. In Eurosport interviews he's quite reserved and says he realizes how it is difficult and too competitive to win the Tour.

This is the guy who when he bought his own team a few years ago registered himself as a rider and rode as a domestique in some of the smaller races.

that is the coolest thing anyone has ever done in cycling. The guy is clearly a wildcard

The Father of Clean Cycling, Christophe Bassons wrote:When I look at cycling today, I get the impression that history is repeating itself: riders who are supposed to be rouleurs are climbing passes at the front of the race, and those who are supposed to be climbers are riding time trials at more than 50 kilometres per hour.

The Father of Clean Cycling, Christophe Bassons wrote:When I look at cycling today, I get the impression that history is repeating itself: riders who are supposed to be rouleurs are climbing passes at the front of the race, and those who are supposed to be climbers are riding time trials at more than 50 kilometres per hour.

I did not believe in this info... that valverde and ac dislike each other... in the dauphine some years ago, AC did help Valverde against Evans...

And the reason that Thijs said that valverde dislike contador is because of what happened in last year vuelta... I remember that vavlerde was sad with sky, not with Alberto...

And it is normal to Valverde be enthusiastic with the time that he is ahead of contador.. it is the first time that this happen in a GT! :-)

Wow that is an incredibly strongly worded article. Does this guy have an insider with Movistar? Has Valverde ever spoken in public like this? Is this a news or gossip column?

Sky is the one that caused Valverde to crash and lose the jersey. I don't remember Saxo working on the front, Katusha backed off when they heard he was down. Berto and Froome did have a little adventure off the front much later. Was Valverde still in hard chase mode then or had he spit the bit?

Carol S.~~~~Alberto Contador: "And yes, it is true that for me it's the same to finish second or 10th."